Extremely stubborn broody - what next?

[RoyalChick]

I have a very stubborn broody. She has spent most of the summer being broody. I have a dog crate set up as a broody jail and most of the summer it has taken 3-4 spells of 3-4 days each for her to break. Then she is normal for a week. Starts to lay and immediately goes broody again.
It is definitely Fall here - night time temperatures are dropping into the mid 50s and her jail is in the entryway between the coop and the secure run - so she is definitely getting a cool breeze all around her.
It is as if she knows this is her last chance of the season and is digging in. I cannot break her this time. I tend to let her out on a trial every 3-4 days but she goes straight back to the nest - I think we are at 12 days in jail now.
Is there anything else I can do?
A related question is how many days in a row would you keep her in jail? I have felt that it is better she get out now and then to dust bathe. I carry her a long way from the coop and if I am lucky she stops for a bath and maybe a snack before going to the nest.
All suggestions welcome, but for various reasons having her hatch or raise day-olds is not practical for me right now.
@aart - I think my broody jail is based on your design - have you ever had this issue?

Pictures of my set up below - the cage is actually suspended from the ceiling in chains.

 

[aart]

@aart - I think my broody jail is based on your design - have you ever had this issue?

Yep, I have one that takes 3-4 days to break, then quickly goes broody again. I think she went broody 4 or 5 times this summer.
She also can't have the floor roost as she hunkers down and tries to 'hatch' it.

 

[RoyalChick]

Yep, I have one that takes 3-4 days to break, then quickly goes broody again. I think she went broody 4 or 5 times this summer.
She also can't have the floor roost as she hunkers down and tries to 'hatch' it.

Thanks for responding.
Yes, she is definitely trying to hatch the 2x4 - but I worry about the wire on her feet. I thought in your set-up you gave them a small piece of wood to stand on.
Do yours really stand directly on the dog crate wire?
Also, how long do you think it is OK to keep her in there without releasing her at all? So far, I haven’t gone past 4 days before giving her a run outside. Do you do more than that?
Tassels has been caged for 2x 4 days this time and she is still as broody as they come.

 

[aart]

Thanks for responding.
Yes, she is definitely trying to hatch the 2x4 - but I worry about the wire on her feet. I thought in your set-up you gave them a small piece of wood to stand on.
Do yours really stand directly on the dog crate wire?
Also, how long do you think it is OK to keep her in there without releasing her at all? So far, I haven’t gone past 4 days before giving her a run outside. Do you do more than that?
Tassels has been caged for 2x 4 days this time and she is still as broody as they come.

I do give them a piece of wood, unless they try to hatch it then it comes out.
I have 1x2 mesh on the bottom...and I'm sure it's not 'comfortable' but too bad. Never had any injuries.

I go 3-4 days (24/7) then let out an hour before roosting time.
If they go to roost great, if I find them in a nest at lockup they go back into the crate for 2-3-4 more days.

 

[Perris]

Is there anything else I can do?

have you considered just letting her sit until she realizes nothing is going to hatch and her hormones switch off naturally? Are there any reasons why you would not want to do that?

I am letting my oldest hen and the flock matriarch do it currently (the 3 weeks are up in 5 days time; I'll let you know how it goes if you like - though she's going to get a rude interruption today, as the weather and other circumstances suggest today is the day to power wash all the coops!)

 

[RoyalChick]

I do give them a piece of wood, unless they try to hatch it then it comes out.
I have 1x2 mesh on the bottom...and I'm sure it's not 'comfortable' but too bad. Never had any injuries.

I go 3-4 days (24/7) then let out an hour before roosting time.
If they go to roost great, if I find them in a nest at lockup they go back into the crate for 2-3-4 more days.

Thanks. That is what I am doing.

 

[RoyalChick]

have you considered just letting her sit until she realizes nothing is going to hatch and her hormones switch off naturally? Are there any reasons why you would not want to do that?

I am letting my oldest hen and the flock matriarch do it currently (the 3 weeks are up in 5 days time; I'll let you know how it goes if you like - though she's going to get a rude interruption today, as the weather and other circumstances suggest today is the day to power wash all the coops!)

Yup. Tried that twice this summer. She went well over 21 days.
My worry with her is that she does not have good self-care habits. She won’t get off the nest. I was very worried during the heat of summer because she was panting and not drinking.
Initially I was happy with jail because she ate. But now she isn’t eating much in jail either. I can get her to eat by carrying her away from the coop - she will eat while I carry her. Sometimes she will also eat as she rushes back to the nest.
I need to weigh her again this weekend but I can feel she has lost weight.

 

[Perris]

She went well over 21 days.

did the hormones turn off then? and how long was it from a natural switch off until she went broody again?

 

[RoyalChick]

did the hormones turn off then? and how long was it from a natural switch off until she went broody again?

Both times I broke first and put her in a crate. Took maybe another week to 10 days in the crate. She went broody again within 2 weeks.
She has it bad this gal!
She is young. Hatched April 2023. I am hoping she grows out of it!

 

[BDutch]

Initially I was happy with jail because she ate. But now she isn’t eating much in jail either.

I have the feeling you need to change something so she has a more comfortable life.

Time for a chicken psychologist? @Shadrach helped me once with another mental problem with Janice who had a hard time in the flock when she was young.